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orget what you
know about conventional eating. Today, you’re going to be eating rice for
breakfast like a Filipino. Only not with big red sausages, Catsup and Spam (We
will be discovering this culture in the near future, don’t you worry). You will
be doing so with Chicken, and it will be delicious chicken for that matter.
Why Chicken for
breakfast you may ask. I asked myself this very question when childhood friend,
Joshua Voon (A brilliant chef by the way. Keep your eyes out for him) invited
me to Mui Chin. Was it simple breakfast culture in this area? No. It just
simply sells out by 10am. Who on earth sells out, or the better question might
be who on earth eats something like this so early?
Well for today, that
who will be me and a slew of friends.
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| Anyone else but me wishes this bike would have parked elsewhere? |
Aunty Telar, is
the very shy but lovely lady who prepares this dish and has been doing so for
about 10 years, ever since her mother in law who herself has been doing this
for 30 years passed away. This recipe is first generation mind you, as her
mother in law was a Hainanese from China.
Chicken rice in
most occasions is always best when simple. It’s getting the simple things right
that make this dish an understated delicacy. It is the combination of all the
simple elements here that come together to bring an experience that people flock
towards to eat lunch for breakfast.
The only way I
can think of to explain the journey of flavours you will be experiencing is by
showing you step by step how I would being to enjoy a meal like this.
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| I agree. Someone went a bit overboard with the extra bowl of soup. |
At first glance,
you can tell that this bowl of soup is going to be packed full of flavour
instead of tasting like hot water and MSG. A sip of this hits you with authentic
flavours of chicken and hints of pepper and you can see why. The broth constantly
has chicken feet in it when simmering which allows for absorption of delicious fat, essential for
natural flavours.
To get a good
feel of how the Chilli Sauce will taste like overall, it’s good to start by
having it over your rice. The chilli as you can see is pretty simple at best
but has a nice acidity from vinegar and bright zesty flavours while being
slightly spicy with fruity flavours of the chilli pepper.
Coupled with the
rice that is quite soft but carries flavours similar to a post I did awhile
back which can be found HERE, you have a nice blend of savoury ginger and
garlic with a bright zesty chilli sauce.
Another
condiment that I am grateful for having is the sweet pickled cucumbers. Lately,
most have stopped serving these but I don’t blame them as they are on most occasions
cast aside and not eaten. It has become more of a service that owners like
these provide as opposed to a must, but having something fresh and sweet like
this is always a welcome addition.
As for the star
of the show, the Chicken is as you would hope for. Delicious with mild flavours
of light sauce and sesame oil. The tenderness is what you would expect from a
Hainanese style of cooking that requires a steeping in sub-boiling temperatures
to not only cook through, but to also extract delicious oils that you get in
your soup.
This is why
here, it is equally important to have everything eaten at once. If you’re also
wondering, the skin is also jelly like and springy for those who enjoy these
things. I know I do from time to time.
Now you might
want to me to reassure you again if something like this is worth the trip so
early in the morning. Yes. Yes it is. I have never wanted Chicken Rice more
than I ever did before Mui Chin. You may also ask the people that wait in front
of the shop as early as 6:30 in the morning for a packet of this to go.
Overall, a good
simple meal like this is underrated. With Chicken Rice being found in almost every coffee shop, Mui Chin is definitely the family run needle in this haystack.
Mui Chin is open every day from 6:30 am to 10:00 am for Chicken Rice. Usually and on this occassion especially, they ran out of ingredients by 9:30.
Please come back again on Friday where I post my articles from SEEDS which I write on as well and every Tuesday from around 7pm to 8pm Malaysian time.
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Also for your viewing pleasure, some fun candids!
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| Resting Hangry Face |
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| TopShop Model |
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| Chef Voon |
